by Dan Wolken, USA TODAY Sports

by Dan Wolken, USA TODAY Sports

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- They didn't know yet, and in some ways that was the hardest part for Florida. Three hours before Notre Dame clinched its spot in the national championship game, the No. 6-ranked Gators were reveling in a 37-26 victory over No. 5 Florida State in the bowels of Doak Campbell Stadium and wondering, "Why not us?"

"We've fared pretty well against everybody we've played,"quarterback Jeff Driskel said. "Hopefully USC can win tonight and we can sneak in, because no one wants to see us right now."

The second part may very well be true. Florida completed an 11-1 regular season Saturday night, winning much the same way it has since Week 1 with an uncanny ability to create turnovers, a thirst to deliver physical punishment and a finishing burst that nobody else in college football can match. Who wants to play a team like that?

But even in the afterglow of its greatest victory this season, the Gators knew everything was out of their hands. If Notre Dame beat USC, Florida would be shut out of the national championship race. If USC beat Notre Dame, the Gators would virtually be guaranteed a spot in the BCS title game opposite the winner of the SEC championship game next Saturday. The stakes couldn't have been higher, and Florida couldn't have been more helpless.

"It's frustrating, you know, but it is what it is," Florida coach Will Muschamp said. "At the end of the day you want to be in the conversation and have the opportunity to play in the big game. Regardless I'm very proud of our team and the resolve and the improvements we've been able to make."

As we know now, there won't be any celebration in Gainesville this weekend.

Notre Dame beat USC, 22-13, relegating Florida to another BCS bowl, likely the Sugar. For a team that was 6-6 at this point a year ago and called soft by its coach after a 21-7 loss to these very same Seminoles, it was a wildly successful and unexpected season. If not for a 17-9 loss to Georgia, a game in which they committed an uncharacteristic six turnovers, the Gators would be ranked No. 1 in the country.

And with wins over Texas A&M, LSU and now Florida State, you really think Florida wouldn't relish the opportunity to play Notre Dame or Alabama for the national title?

"Our resume speaks for itself," Muschamp said. "I mean, come on. You've seen where we've played, who we've played and the quality of football teams we've beat."

If college football's four-team playoff started this year instead of 2014, Florida would likely be in. But this was the wrong year for the Gators to be the nation's most accomplished one-loss team.

Most college football fans are probably relieved that the BCS championship game won't be an all-SEC affair for the second year in a row. Just like Alabama last year, Florida would have gotten in without even winning its division thanks to some voodoo BCS math and exactly the right teams around the country losing.

In a system where only two can get into the title game, it is probably just that the team opposite Notre Dame in Miami will be the champion of Florida's conference, and in Georgia's case, a team that beat the Gators head-to-head on a neutral field.

But is Florida as good as any of those teams? There's no doubt, and Saturday proved it. On the road, against an in-state rival who was 10-1 and also trying to stay in the national championship race, Florida did what Florida does. It won the turnover battle (5 to 1), ran the ball effectively (244 yards to FSU's 112) and wore an opponent down in the fourth quarter, just like it has all season against quality competition.

And in doing all those things, it almost instantly reversed the momentum of a game that seemed to be slipping away when Florida fell behind 20-13 lead late in the third quarter.

"We Just stuck together like we always do," linebacker Jelani Jenkins said. "We just stayed resilient, stayed fighting, didn't hold our heads down, didn't get too down when we were losing, didn't get too high when we were up."

Florida is not perfect, and this game was a testament to that. The Gators led 13-0 late in the second quarter and had a chance to add to it when Florida State quarterback E.J. Manuel threw his second interception of the half. But Florida State backed the Gators out of field goal range, got it within 13-3 at halftime and scored two touchdowns in a span of 117 seconds, converting short fields of 25 and 17 yards thanks to a huge punt return by Kenny Shaw and a fumbled handoff by Mike Gillislee.

That 17-13 lead, which Florida State increased to 20-13 on Dustin Hopkins' 53-yard field goal, looked like it would hold up because Florida's offense appeared to be in disarray. Muschamp knew better and told offensive coordinator Brent Pease to stay patient and stick with the running game, knowing that the worst thing Florida could do was allow the Seminoles' future NFL pass rushers to get off the line of scrimmage.

"They catch a little fire, get a little surge going, get some good field position, but our guys just continued to press forward," Muschamp said. "Regardless of the situation and the circumstances, they play. You've been watching it all year."

Indeed, Florida came right back, converting two huge third downs on the ensuing drive, which ended in a 32-yard field goal by Caleb Sturgis to draw within 20-16.

Then everything changed again with 11:09 left when true freshman Antonio Morris delivered a vicious shot to Manuel, jarring the ball loose at Florida State's 37-yard line to force the Seminoles' fifth turnover of the day. One play later, Gillislee broke through the middle of the line for a touchdown and a 23-20 lead.

With Manuel on the sideline undergoing concussion tests, backup quarterback Clint Trickett went three-and-out on the ensuing series. After a 50-yard punt return by Marcus Roberson, Florida converted the short field into a touchdown to take a 30-20 lead with just seven minutes left. Though Manuel would return to the game, Florida State never mounted a comeback and the Gators cruised to their fourth road victory of the season.

Sure, just a couple weeks ago Florida needed some huge special teams plays to hold off Louisiana-Lafayette, 27-20. Even Muschamp would admit this team and this program hasn't yet arrived. But as of today, he would make a strong argument that nobody in the country has accomplished more.

"It was kind of the culmination of our season," he said."Very fitting fashion."

Of course there will be what-ifs today, with the Gators knowing they can't play for the crystal football. Everybody who falls just short of the national championship game has them. But Florida squeezed so much more out of this season than anyone expected, came so much closer to the title game than seemed possible even two weeks ago, that it's difficult to have regrets.

"Whatever happens, happens," nose tackle Omar Hunter said. "It's been a great year for this team, and we've got one more game."

In 2014, under the same circumstances, that game would probably be in the national semifinals. Instead, it will be a bowl game with no impact on the title. As Florida discovered late Saturday night, even the team with the best collection of victories in the country can't overcome the polls and computers. For the Gators, the death of the BCS comes two years too late.